Happy Birthday, Mike!

Just finished tonight (on tablet in Photoshop), a little birthday card for podcaster/friend Mike Dent (R5 Central and Otaku USA's Friday Ace)!

Hope you have a great day!

The New DC and Marvel Logos!

Yes, folks, I'm just as riled up about the unveiling of the new DC Comics logo.

The above image is from a related article on the new logo by the Bleeding Cool news blog.

The clever part of the logo is that it looks like a turning page of a comic.  That description was much better than DC Comics' own description, and it is honestly pretentious.

The article quotes Amit Desai, Senior Vice President of Franchise Management at DC, who we also revealed was behind the presentation to DC Comics internally, as saying “We didn’t want a static logo, but a living identity that could capture the power of our characters and storytelling. What is special about DC content is the notion of a dual identity. When you think about our DC Comics superheroes, there’s a secret identity. When you think about Vertigo, it’s this notion of good vs. evil in many of the stories. And so, in addition to flexibility, the new logo communicates this idea of dual identity: there’s more than meets the eye. You have to take a closer look to understand the richness of our characters and stories.”

So that's all it is.  A "dual identity."  It's gone far beyond its original description.  Even its original "bullet" logo (used from the late 70s to the early 2000s) is a lot more generic and universal, as it opens themselves up to other genres!  Kiddie comics, comedies, romance, etc.  Yeah, remember those?

So, I decided to offer myself a challenge.  Could I do any better?  I decided to take up the challenge.

I present to you my own version of the DC Comics logo, a mix of the "bullet" logo and my own unique touch!  This was done in less than an hour in Flash (and this presentation was assembled in Photoshop).  Since DC stands for "Detective Comics," I decided to use a magnifying glass for a bullet, much like what detectives use.

But, of course, you don't necessarily need a magnifying glass or the brain of Sherlock Holmes to enjoy the adventures of Superman, Batman (himself a detective!), Green Lantern, Sugar & Spike, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, etc.!

So I did you all one better; I did a new Marvel logo, too!

Have you ever noticed that Marvel doesn't have a unique logo of their own, in comparison to DC Comics?  That bothered me.  Even though I always loved that classic "Marvel Comics Group" banner, and the use of different Marvel characters over the logo in the 80s was a nice touch!  But they never went as far as to make their own unique logo.

How do you define "marvel?"  A "marvel" is something that evokes astonishment and wonder!  When looking at the current Marvel logo, it looks too cold.  Too plain.  Just a blocky font that looks like the text for a hard-edged action movie.  Too much grim, gritty macho stuff.  That's not how I'd define a "marvel."

So, I decided to do a logo that defines Marvel!  Something marvelous and flashy.  An M-shaped flash!  This was done in Flash (no pun intended!) in less than half an hour, with this presentation assembled in Photoshop (right after doing the DC logo).  The "With Detail" one could've been colored/arranged better, but it gives you the idea.  :)

Realistically, neither company would accept these logos, even if they liked them.  But you have to agree, they're quite unique!  They not only define the names, but capture the excitement of what comics are supposed to be.  Just like any entertainment company logo (20th Century Fox, Warner, Paramount, Universal, etc.)!

As for current reading content, that's a subject for another day.

With Rekira and Dengeking, PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH!

Did this for fun yesterday (January 6th).  Yes, you'll be seeing something like this in Rekira at some point!

Drawn on tablet in Photoshop.  Can you guess the reference?  :)

Introducing Dengeking!

Let's kick off the new year with yet another new character from Rekira!  Here is my own direct answer to the Ultra-Heroes and Henshin Heroes, the Japanese superhero Dengeking the Super-Man (Chouriki Senshi Dengekingu)!

Conceived almost a decade ago for the story, this is an updated design.  Done on tablet in Photoshop.

First Art of 2012!

I have returned yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon from my vacation in North Carolina!  Here's the first drawing I've done to ring in the New Year:

Done tonight (January 5th) on tablet in Photoshop.  Here is Rekira, welcoming the Year of the Dragon.  (Yes, he's part-dragon!)

Happy New Year!